Towards AN Understanding of the Generation Problem

In this study, we examine Hermitian quark mass matrices for three generations and the Kobayashi-Maskawa mixing matrices which they produce. Our investigation is limited to mass matrices which depend on only three parameters. We find that the Fritzsch mass matrix is the unique matrix consisting of five nonzero elements. Then proceeding to classify physically distinct mass matrices having six or seven nonzero elements, we find that several produce mixing matrices that are in good agreement with experimental constraints. Next, we impose constraints obtained from the CP violation parameter varepsilon , B^0-B^0 mixing, and the recent observation of charmless B-decays. For these matrices we calculate values for varepsilon^'/ varepsilon and compare them to the current experimental limits. We find that the results from charmless B-decays effectively eliminates the Fritzsch scheme as a realistic three generation model. On the other hand, several of the other mass matrices examined are found to be in good agreement with the most recent experimental and theoretical limits. Finally, we examine the possibility of placing limits on the composite structure of the W boson by looking for form-factor effects as well as a W anomalous magnetic moment (mu_{rm w}) in the processes W to enugamma, gamma e to Wnu, and |nu to Wgamma. We find the most sensitive reaction to variation in the magnetic-moment parameter kappa_{rm w} is gammae to Wnu, which should be accessible at the Stanford Linear Collider and CERN LEP. We find that all three processes are quite sensitive to form factor effects for a compositeness scale in the range 100 GeV < Lambda < 350 GeV. From these reactions future experiments should be able to observe W compositeness from the effects of a nonstandard kappa_ {rm w}, form factors, or both. If such effects are not observed, stringent limits on W compositeness can be obtained from these reactions. ftn*DOE Report IS -T 1346. This work was performed under contract No. W -7405-Eng-82 with the U.S. Department of Energy.